They usually tell us weddings are all about the dress; well, guess what – they’re not! A wedding gown is just one of the aspects of your wonderful day to come, and you’ll get to it in time, no worries. What you need to do now is focus on a bigger picture – go see venues, try samples of wedding cake, think about décor, revive your childhood wedding fantasies, plan out your honeymoon, think about your bachelorette party… Enjoy the planning rather than dread it.

We’re giving you a few amazing tips to help you find your wedding style in no time and enjoy every second of the process.

Think outside the box

All good plans start with an idea, a dream; close your eyes and picture your dream wedding without worrying what your mother would think, how much it’ll cost or whether it’s possible to pull it off. Relax and fantasize.

What do you see?

An extravagant ceremony or a small, intimate party?
Indoors or outdoors?
Destination wedding or home?
Venue or your backyard?
Spring, summer, winter or fall?
Theme or no theme?
If theme, vintage, classic, bohemian, modern, rustic or all-out glam?
Formal or informal?

Make an inspiration board

Give yourself time to browse through wedding magazines and online editions of bridal blogs to get inspired; however, don’t limit yourself to browsing just the obvious sources— pay attention to various fabrics, patterns, color chips, stationery and ornaments as they all can spark up inspiration. Collect your ideas on an inspiration board to keep things organized and visualize how various elements will look together. Have fun with it!

Once you feel you’re done collecting inspiration, narrow in on your style and shape it into a meaningful whole; think of interesting hobbies you and your fiancé have in common, the countries you’ve seen together (or want to see), places you two hold dear, etc. and turn them into a connective thread of your wedding, a dominant motif.

A word of caution: Don’t load up on too many ideas. You don’t want your wedding to turn into a circus.

Go quirky

Weddings don’t really need to be as serious as we picture them to be; if anything, they should be the ultimate testament to your temperament, likes and dislikes and your overall way of life. Sure, you want to please both your mother and your mother-in-law (yeah, like that’s possible!) but you also want to make it’s about you and your husband to be.

If you are vegetarian, go for a vegan wedding;
If you like to be spontaneous, put up a photo booth or hire photographers to snap polaroid pics;
If you are into pantomime, hire a professional to entertain the crowd;

What are you and your partner interested in? Are you two into movies, games, or a hipster aesthetic? Incorporate your interests in your wedding to make it more personal and fun.

If you love historical movies, then why not dress up in Medieval or Renaissance clothing and have your wedding entourage dress in the same way? There’s no rule that says you need to follow the conventions of traditional weddings to have a memorable one. You and your partner will be happier and more satisfied if you do what you want.

Do whatever feels good and right, and don’t hold back. Explore your likes and consult with your fiancé on the final choice.

Follow a vibe

Remember that your chosen theme sets the tone of your wedding; you want your choices to be in sync so make sure your wedding styling is on point with the right choice of the venue, décor and the food. While a beach wedding will have guests kicking off their shoes, dancing in the sand and enjoying a beer right out of the bottle, an evening wedding in a golden ballroom will channel the glamor of the fierce ’20s and take things up a notch. Either is great, as long as your personalities and passions are shining through your final wedding choice.

Once you’ve brainstormed through all of your ideas, it’s time to you turn them into reality. You can always hire a wedding planner to help your dreams come to life or do it yourself – either way, you’ll have the time of your life